Everything Changes
by kelseynicholette
Summary: NHLSTORY.Three years ago, Milan Lucic was Kelsey's life. But he broke her heart and she moved on and has found love with another hockey player. What happens when she faces him again? Will she stay with her man? Or go back to the one that hurt her?
1. Preview

PREVIEW.

_"You wanna go?" He had screamed at me, inches from my face, "Then leave."_

_"Fine." I hissed, practically spitting in his face. I raced to our bedroom, ripping a suitcase out of the closet and stuffed it with clothes so fast I could barely see my hands move in front of me._

_

* * *

_

"Babe?" Kris asked and looked at me worriedly. That had snapped me out of my flashback.

"Huh?" I responded. He could clearly tell my mind was somewhere else tonight.

"I _said_," He worry had now turned into annoyance, from what I could tell, "Are you excited about going to Boston this weekend?"

Boston. That was my head was in the clouds. My stomach turned even hearing the word. It was my hometown. I should be happy that I got to see my friends and family, not to mention I could show off my new boyfriend. But I wasn't. Because of him. Because of what he did.

"What is _with_ you tonight?" No question now. He was definitely annoyed.

"Sorry." I mumbled, pushing a piece of sandy blonde hair behind my ear, "I'm just a little distracted today."

"Why?" He played with the fork on his plate, then glanced up at me, "What's going on?"

"Nothing." I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

_'Shit.'_ I thought when I heard my voice get higher. That's what happened whenever I lied. I had grown up with four older sisters and had seen them lie to my mother hundreds of times during their teen years, and I still couldn't pick up the art of it at nineteen years old.

"Kelsey." He folded his arms across his chest.

"Are you _sure _you want me to tell you?" I sighed, knowing the answer already.

"Of course."

"I'm not exactly _excited_ to go to Boston."

"Why not?" He looked genuinely confused.

"I may have dated a Bruins player." I smiled sheepishly at my boyfriend, trying to ignore the shock on his face to continue the story, "But it was obviously before I met you." I thought that may soften the blow.

"You _what_?" Raising his voice, he stared straight in my eyes. So much for softening the blow.

"I, I, I." I stammered, desperately trying to find the right words to say, "I was seventeen. I was stupid, he was a jerk. It wasn't a big deal!"

"You didn't think to mention this before?"

I knew that was coming. Kris and I, who played defense for the Pittsburgh Penguins, had been dating six months. We practically started hanging out the minute I got off the plane to live with my friend Lauren.

"I didn't think it was important!" I whispered, keeping one eye on the couple at the table next to us who were listening intently, "But you're the one that just _insisted_ that I come to Boston with you."

The Penguins were playing the Boston Bruins this coming Friday. Kris thought it would be fun if I came along, showed him the city, and he met my family. I wanted to tell him I'd rather stick glass in my eyes, but what came out was _'Awesome!'_. I regretted that decision at this moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kris was on the defense now, "I thought it would be a good idea to meet your family. But I wasn't aware you brought home hockey players by bulk."

"That was nice, Kris." I rolled my eyes, "Such a gentleman."

"What am I _supposed_ to say? That's great Kelsey you dated another hockey player. That's great that you lied to me."

"That's the reaction I was hoping for." I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. I wiped that smile off my face as quickly as it came when I got the death glare from my boyfriend on the other side of the table.

"Who is it?" Kris said in an almost whisper, now massaging his temples.

"What?"

"Who..did..you..._date_?" He asked, saying the words seconds apart. I don't know if it was for dramatic effect or he was having a heart attack. I was obviously hoping for the first one, but the second option would of gotten me out this painfully awkward dinner.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does matter." Kris yelled, now aware of half the restaurant staring at us, "We wouldn't have to do this hear if you had just _told_ me." He brought down his voice considerably.

"Milan Lucic." I said, almost gagging at saying his name again, "Happy?"

"I'm just fucking ecstatic, Kelsey." He rolled his eyes, "I found out that my girlfriend dated the biggest ass in the NHL. I could throw a party right now."

"Would you just _relax_? I haven't even seen or talked to him in years. So chill out before you pop a blood vessel."

"What happened?" Kris asked, anger was still in his eyes.

"He cheated on me. On my birthday." I nodded slightly, "With my best friend at the time. Do you understand why I don't exactly broadcast this to people?"

"What an _ass_." He repeated, shaking his head, then looking up at me. His facial expression completely changed. It went back to the softness and sweetness I knew and loved. The anger and hurt that was spitting fires at me a few seconds ago wasn't him. That was Milan. Kris was just jealous and I understood.

"_Hey._" He leaned over the table and grabbed my hand,"Want me to kick his ass?" That crooked smile I knew and loved crept on his face.

"Please." I laughed, pulling him in for a kiss.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" I finally said after the twenty straight minutes of silence.

"Like what?" Kris said from the driver seats, trying his hardest to sound innocent.

"Like I'm a _criminal_."

It was only last night I told Kris about my past relationship with a Boston Bruins player, Milan Lucic, and where we were headed right now. But since then, something had changed- I could just _feel_ it.

"I'm not trying to, Kels." He said, sighing, "I'm really not. It's just…"

"I know." I put my hand up, helping him finish the sentence, "It's awkward."

"Exactly."

"But it doesn't have to be. It was a long time ago and I probably won't even run into him. You should be more concerned with meeting my insane family."

"Thanks." He chuckled.

* * *

As we pulled up to the house on Hawthorne Road that I knew so well, I took a deep breath and looked at Kris. This poor guy had no idea what he was getting himself into. Sure, he's under intense pressure for months of every year and has won a Stanley Cup, but he's never faced my super Italian and crazy mother's side of the family.

"My baby." I heard from behind me. Kris turned around immediately, but I didn't have to. I already knew who it was by the thick accent like she just got off the boat two days ago, instead of the twenty years she's been here, _"My baby!" _

"Noni!" I laughed as my grandmother practically tackled me, "This is Kristopher." I smiled, motioning over to the now nervous man beside me.

"_Kristopher_!" She yelled, trying her best with his name, as she pulled him into a bear hug. I looked at him apologetically, but he just laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

My Noni started muttering something in Italian and dragged us to the front door. This is why I loved my family so much. This side of my family was loud and crazy and my dad's family was basically the Irish equivalent.

"Hey baby sis!" My older sister Taylor greeted me in the kitchen, and then turned to Kris. "Nice to see you again." She pulled us both into a hug. Taylor had met Kris before when she visited us in Pittsburgh for a weekend.

"Auntie! Auntie!" I felt someone grab my leg.

I looked down and saw my other sister Morgan's son Bentley looking up at me with his big blue eyes and sandy blonde hair.

"Bentley!" I smiled and lifted him up, "How is my big boy doing?"

"I'm good." He said. It amazed me how well he was speaking, he then turned his attention to Kris, who was standing close to me, "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is my boyfriend." I said looking at him, "Didn't Momma tell you about him?"

"Ohhh." A metaphorical light bulb went off in that little boy's head, "I have your jersey!" He cheered, hopping out of my arms, bolting for the other room.

"He _does_?" I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Morgan.

"Not exactly." She lowered her voice, then quickly running after him.

But it was too late. Bentley ran right past her, going straight towards Kris with a Bruins jersey. A number seventeen jersey to be exact with _'Lucic' _printed on the back.

"Here!" He smiled up at Kris, passing the jersey to him, "_See_?"

"This isn't my jersey." Kris softened his voice, bending down so he was eye level with Bentley, "I play for the Penguins. The Stanley Cup Champions. I can show you some pictures if you'd like."

I couldn't help but smile at this exchange. It was so cute how he was interacting with Bentley. I thought that maybe he wouldn't be mad and I'd be off the hook, but as he took the boy's hand to show him some pictures on his phone in the next room, he glared at me.

"I think this belongs to _you_." He threw the jersey at me.

I threw the jersey at Morgan. That thing was like a hot potato today. I ran after Kris, who was now watching closely as Bentley thumbed through his iPhone.

"Kris." I whispered, trying to get his attention.

"I think there's a Bruins game on." He didn't even turn his head, he just looked at me with one eye, "Shouldn't you watch your boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend plays for the _Penguins_." I said, moving closer, "At least I hope he's still my boyfriend."

When I said that last line, his whole expression changed. It was so easy to read his face, and see what he was feeling.

"We can talk about this later." He grabbed me and placed a kiss on my forehead, "I'm sorry about what I said."

The rest of the dinner went well. My family loves Kris, which I knew they would. He was just one of those guys people took to. There was a lot of Italian gibberish, good food, and laughs.

* * *

"So Milan Lucic huh?" Lauren said sat in the seat next to me.

"Oh _god_." I sighed, looking at the Pittsburgh Penguins as they warmed up for game, "Not you too." I glanced back at my friend.

"I was just wondering." She laughed, shrugging, "Did Kris freak out?"

"Mhm."

"Alex told me." She nodded. Lauren had been my friend since I moved to Pittsburgh and was dating Alex Goligoski, who was also on the Penguins with Kris.

We went back to small talk as we watched the boys for the rest of the warm-ups. Kris smiled at me as he skated by, and I blew him a kiss.

The lights went dim around us at the TD Garden in Boston.

'_Ladies and Gentlemen, here are your Boston Bruins!' _ It boomed from the speakers and the crowd went wild as the team in yellow and black skated onto the ice.

My heart stopped when I saw him. I felt like I saw a ghost. I guess ever since we stopped talking, it was as if he didn't exist. Or it just hurt too much to think about him.

I couldn't keep my eyes off Milan as he skated around sharply, passing the puck with his teammates. I tried looking away so many times, but it was like a bad car accident, you wanted to, but you just _couldn't_.

I felt my cheeks burn as he turned around and did a double take when he spotted me right in the front row. He squinted, clearly wondering if he was seeing a ghost too.

"Do you want me to tell Eagle Eyes over there to stop staring at us?" Lauren asked, nodding at Milan.

"N-no. It's okay." I stammered, still having my eyes peeled on the ice.

I couldn't even have predicted what happened next. Out of nowhere, Kris came skating behind Milan and throwing punches at him. The two roughed around before being pulled apart by teammates and refs. The first period hadn't even started yet and they were already fighting.

I didn't get the memo that it was the Bruins and Penguins playing each other, and a separate game of Milan Lucic and Kris Letang playing each other. Whenever they were both on the ice, someone was starting something. They were playing tag in the penalty box. Every time I heard "Penalty" from the refs, I groaned, knowing there was going to consequences from this.

"That was…" Lauren said as we got up out of our seats after the Penguins won in a 3-2 game, "_Interesting_."

"Very." I nodded and followed her as we made our way to the runway where the players come out after the game.

"Baby!" She called at Alex Goligoski as he came over to us. He pulled her into a kiss and after they pulled apart he turned to me.

"Mind if I take this one?"

"No worries. I'll see you guys later." I smiled. I hugged Lauren and they went off hand in hand down the runway.

"So." I turned around at the voice who said so, and none other than Milan Lucic was standing only a few feet away from me.

I tried getting some sort of audible words out of my mouth, but just ending up stuttering for a few seconds.

"Um." He coughed, stepping forward, "I know this is weird. And that's my fault. But Kelsey, I'm sorry. For _everything_."

I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to tell him how much he hurt me. How when he left, and still to this day, I felt like a piece of me was missing. But when now that I was there again, looking into those brown eyes of his, I couldn't. I was defeated once again.

"It's fine." I sighed.

"Haven't changed much huh?" A small crept onto his face as he dug his hands into his jean pockets.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always trying to make people happy. Even when they're horrible to you. It's your best and worst quality."

"Thanks Doctor Phil. Are we _done_ here?" I rolled my eyes.

"Ah, there's that sarcasm." He pointed, now a whole smile was on his face. I winced. That smile is what made me come back every single time.

I didn't reply. It's not that I didn't want to, it's just that I didn't even know _what_ to say. It was surreal to me that after all this time I was now standing across from him.

"So your boyfriend doesn't like me very much huh?" He laughed.

"It isn't _funny_, Milan."

"Sorry." He backed off, then leaning in closer to me, "How long are you in town for?"

"Kris goes back tomorrow for practice, but I'm staying an extra day to spend time with my family." I scrunched my nose, "_Why_?"

"Will you meet me for coffee or something?"

"Are you joking?" I hissed, "No."

"Oh come on, Kelso."

"No." I folded my arms across my chest, "And don't call me Kelso. You lost your nickname privileges."

"Nickname privileges." He repeated, stroking his chin, "Guess I gotta brush up on those."

"You are _such_ an ass." I turned around to leave, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me close to him, until we were face to face. I pushed away immediately.

"Coffee." He looked at me, with what I thought was sincerity in his eyes, "That's all I'm asking for. _Please_." I just stood there for a minute, looking at him. He didn't say anything either.

"Listen. If you change your mind, I'll be waiting at our place tomorrow at nine. I really hope to see you there Kels- I mean _Kelsey_." He nodded quickly at me and walked back the way he came. I saw him making a little turn towards me and smirk.

"Were you talking to someone?" Kris asked as he showed up at my side.

"N-no." I said, "So, you were quite the tough guy tonight?" I laughed as he put his arm around me and we began to walk.

"Told you I'd kick his ass right?" He planted a quick kiss on my lips, "Good thing you don't have to see him again."

"Yeah, good thing." I said quietly. I felt so bad lying to Kris. I felt even worse because I was considering actually going out with the guy who broke me so badly all over again. But it was _just_ coffee right?


End file.
